Improvement in ore washer and amalgamator



J. HOBART & J. T. BEST. Ore Washer and Amalgamator.

No 207,870.- Patented e t; 10. I878.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

II. HOBART, OF OAKLAND, AND JOHN '1. BEST, OF SAN FRANCISCO,

CALIFORNIA.

Specificationthrilling part of Letters Patent No. 207,870, dated September in, 1 -715;

June 22, 1878.

application filed To all whom it may concern lie it known that we, JOHN ll. lion/rm,- of Oakland,countyot'Alameda, and State ot'Lalifornia, and JOHN T. BEST, of the city and ,c onnty of San Francisco, and State of California, have invented an Improved Amalgamator;

and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to certain improve- "inents in that class of amalgamators in which the ore, sand, pulp, or tailings are allowed to pass through a feed-pipe and become disa charged and distributed within and beneath a body of mercury within a tank, from which it may pass over a series of plates or riflles,

"and for which a patent was issued to John 11.

Hobart and C. II. Stward, May 21, 1878.

- It consists in a novel combination of apparatus and in the employment of streams of wa- 'ter, which are discharged into the apparatus at difl'erent points, so as to loosen up the sand and prevent its becoming hard and caked, thnschokin g up the apparatus.

1t alsoconsists in introdueingabody of sand into a distributing-tank with an excess of water', which excess of water 1s drawn oil into storage-tanks, while an excess of sand is drawn frolnthe tank and passed through the mercury-chamber and over the riflles, and the excess of water is employed, as before described, to loosen up and prevent the sand from choking or becoming massed, as will be more fully described by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of our apparates." Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation.

Let A represent a receiving and distributingtank, mounted on suitable frame-work, so as to be elevated above the grotmd. This tank may be made of considerable length to supply many machines. An inclined partition, 13, separates this tank into two compartments or tanks, as shown, or separate tanks may be used. The lower compartment, 0, is intended for water only, while the upper one, D, is used for containing the pulverized ore, black sand, or other material containing valuable metals, a considerable excess of water being introduced at the same time that the sand, &c., is, so that the material will flow rapidly. On the inclined partition or floor B of the receivingtank D are two or more vertical perforated diaphragms or partitions, II,- extending from the inclined floor to the front side of the tank, as shown, and dividing the tank D into as many compartments as may be desired. forthe number of machines to be fed from this tank.

These diaphragms or partitions, from the manner in which they are arranged in the tank, prevent the black sand or other material ander treatment from packin or becoming massed so closely as not to ow readily, and also act in directing the flow of material toward thedischarge opening E in the front lower portion of the tank. Attached to the front of or mounted near 7 the tank A is a water-tank, F, the bottom of which is placed somewhat above the bottom of the main tanks. A pipe, X, passes through the partition G between the receiving and water tanks, its lower end terminating near the lower edge of the inclined floor ot' the receiving-tank between the two diaphragms H and in front of the discharge-gate E, or is otherwise arranged to bring a supply of water to this point. An opening, I, near the top of said partition G, allows any surplus of water which may enter the receiving-tank D to flow into the watertank. A pipe, J, passes through the partition G, the tank I), and inclined floor of said tank D into the compartment 0, through which water is allowed to flow from the main watertank into the lower water-compartment, 0, for the purpose hereinafter described. A pipe, K, leads from the bottom of the ater-tank F, and discharges into the upper pa of the spout L, which is placed in trout of the dischargegate E. This pipe K has its lower end opening immediately in trout of said gate, so as to assist the flow, and prevent the pachin g of the material passing from the receiving-tank into the inclined spout L by providing an extra supply of clear water at that point.

ear the lower end of the inclined spout L is placed a vertical tube, M, which. extends down into a chamber or vessel, N, which is partly filled with mercury. The tube M extends down through thismcrcury, and itslower end or foot is notched or serrated, as shown at 0, so as to facilitate the escapeot' the matcrial passing down the tube into the mercury, and insure its thorough distribution through the mercury in the chamber N and surrounding the pipe. One or more screens, 1, are placed across this chamber, above the end of the pipe, which have the effect of breaking up any lumps or masses of pulp or sand which may come out through the pipe, and also overcome the tendency of the mercury to crowd the sand together and lift it to the sur- 1 face of the mercury in a mass, as shown in the =patent to Hobart and. Stward.

A pipe, Q, extends from the water-tank F down'into the mercury-chamber, discharging an excess of clean water on the surface of the mercury, so as to stir the pulp or sand up and prevent its packingat that point or carryingoff mercury, by reason of its mechanical entanglement with the sand, the point where this class i of machines are most apt to fail. After the pulp or sand is passed through "the body of mercury by means of the pipe M v it rises in the mercury-chamber to the surface of the mercury, and passes or is washed out of the chamber by the excess of water supplied by the pipe Q through the inclined sluice R, which is provided with riflles or an amalgamated plate,- S. At the lower end of this a j sluice R the amalgamated plate is turned down over the edge and turned back again, so as to form a trough or gutter, T, set inclined, as shown, so as to lead toward the amalgam-box U. As the material passes over the amalgamated plate in the inclined sluice the water carries the material over into the waste or tail- 1 ings sluice V, shooting it clear of the mercury "trou gh T, while any particle of mercury or amalgam will cling to and roll over the edge of the plate mto theinclined trough or gutter T, and are by it conducted to the amalgam-box U, whence they may be removed at leisure.

In order to keep the waste or tailings sluice clear in front of the inclined sin-ices, so that the taihngs W111 not bankup against the trough, a ipe, W, leads mto the upper end of this tm rugs-sluice from the tank 0, the water commg in through said pipe stirring up and cara v rying oil tailings.

r The operation of our device is as follows: The pulp or black sand mixed with an excess 7 of water is pumped or led into the receiving tank D, the inclined flow of which leads the sand or pulp toward the discharge-gate E. An an as water in the upper part of this tan wi separate from the heavy sand and flow through the opening I in the partition G Into the water-tank F or 0, so that it may be utilized. Aeock on the pipe X istheu turned, and water allowed to flow through said pipe into the bottom of the tank D, while at the same time the discharge to E is opened. The sand thenflows throng this gate into the spout L, the water flowing throng the pipe X stirring u the sand and assisthig its flow, thus keepiugt e gate free. The sand is prevented from packing in the receiving-tank in front of the gate by the stream of water referred. to, and also by the peculiar diaphragnls or part1- tions ll. These diuphragms are pcrthrnted, and allow the sand to pass slowly through without letting it come in lumps or masses large enough to clog the gate, so that the stream of water from the pipe X will be able to keep what material there is in front of the gate stirred up sufficiently to keep it in a flowing condition. The gate may be madeto operate automatically by means of floats, so as to allow the discharge of only a certain quantity of sand.

Afterthe sand gets through the gate onto the spout L it meets a stream of water from the pipe K, which connects with the water-tank. This stream prevents the sand from settling in the spent, and also adds more water to the pulp at this point, so that it will freely pass down the tube M. The gravitation of the sand is suflicient to carry it down to the bottom of the tube M and under the mercury, It passing out of the tube through the orifices in the peculiarly-shaped foot 0 of the pipe M. As the pulp rises through the mcrcuryin the chamber N it is forced to pass through the screens 1, the meshes of the different ones being arranged diagonally to each o her when more than one is used, so as to more eiiectually break up and separate any lumps of ore which may have a tendency to rise to the sur-- face without being properly distributed. A stream of water from the pipe Q meets the pulp at this point,.and prevents it from clogging on the surface of the mercury, keeping it agitated, so that it will flow freely over the amalgamated plates S in the sluice It. Whatever amalgam or mercury may be washed out of the mercury-chamber is caught by the trough or gutter T and led to the amalgambox U, as hereinafter described. As the tailings reach the tailings-sluice V another stream of water from the pipe W, connecting with the tank 0, meets them and keeps them in a state of agitation suflicient to prevent any.

cloggin or banking u in said sluice.

Suite le cocks are ced in all the pipes mentioned, for control ing the supply of water at ditlerent points in accordance with the quality of the material under treatment.

It will be seen that the feed-tanks for both water and pulp or sand may be extended, so as to supply any number of machines, suitable pipes being connected at proper distances. In this manner large quantities of ore or sand may be treated at the same time, and it need not be forced through one machine so rapidly as to be liable to clog or bank up.

The anriferous black sands of the beaches of California and Oregon are, from their great specific gravity, apt to pack in places, sons to clog any apparatus for treating them, and this has been a principal cause of failure in the em loymeut of machines for separating the gel in addition to the extreme fineness of the gold; but we have provided supple- V mental streams of clear water at all points where packing is liable to occur, so as to prevent any possibility of packing.

By the method employed the sands are e passed through the mass of mercury, so that no light floating particles of gold can escape tllctmercury, and a very thorough amalgamationis efi'ected, while at the same time no'loss o tf imercury or amalgam occurs by their being carried up and out by the mechanical entanglement with the mass of heavy sand, which "in-M xis always ready to separate from .the water and settle, packing very solidly when left quietly for a moment.

The important feature of our invention is the alternate enlivening or loosening up of the sand, and thus allowing it to settle, to be again stirred up by the addition of a new current of water. This is necessary, because the sand separates from the water so rapidly that no amount introduced with it at first would be snflicient to accompany the sand through the whole process of extraction or prevent it from packing in the different stages of the work.

' Having thus described our invention, what weclann as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The receiving-tank A, with its inclined diaphragm or bottom B, having the discharge- ,openings E, in combination with the in lined perforated partitions H, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

.HThe rcceivingtank A, with its inclined abottoui and diapbra ms H, and the dischargeopening E, in com ination with the watersupply pipe X, arranged to discharge water at the bottom of the tank and near the gate,

substantially as and for tilt-purpose herein described.

3. The receiving and distributing tank A,

to receive a body of sand with an excess 0t water, in combination with the tanks 1 and C and the overflow-passages I and J, by which said excess of water is withdrawn from the upper part of the receiving-tank and separated from the sand, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

4. The vertical feed-pipe M, having its bottom serrated and immersed in a tank, N, of mercury, as shown, in combination with the screens 1 and the water-supply pipe Q, to discharge an excess of water into the material above the mercury, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

5. The mercury-tank N, with its screens 1 and feed-pipe M from the spout L, as shown, in combination with the sluice It, with its plates S, and the water-supply pipe Q, the whole constructed tooperate substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

6. The mercury-tank N, with its feed-pipe M, screens 1, and water-supply pipe Q, in combination with the sluice 1t,with its amalgamated 

